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India's 8.5 Lakh Cooperatives Serve 32 Crore Members, Power Rural Economy

India's National Cooperative Database has registered over 8.5 lakh cooperatives, with 6.6 lakh currently operational and serving approximately 32 crore members. These entities, ranging from major institutions like Amul to local societies, form a crucial part of the economic framework, especially in rural areas where they connect producers to markets. The government is driving digitalisation with a major project to computerise Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) and integrate them on a national ERP platform. This initiative has already seen hardware delivered to over 65,000 PACS, with many now functioning as multi-service hubs for government schemes.

Key Points: 8.5 Lakh Cooperatives Serve 32 Crore Members in India

  • Over 8.5 lakh cooperatives registered
  • 6.6 lakh functional, serving 32 crore members
  • Rs 2,925 cr project to computerise PACS
  • 10 crore women integrated via SHGs
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Over 8.5 lakh cooperatives registered; 6.6 lakh functional serving 32 crore members

National Cooperative Database shows 6.6 lakh functional cooperatives, integrating 10 crore women and processing 34.94 crore transactions via new ERP platform.

"a foundational pillar of India's economic architecture - official statement"

New Delhi, Jan 18

The National Cooperative Database has recorded over 8.5 lakh cooperatives, of which approximately 6.6 lakh are operational -- covering nearly 98 per cent of rural India and serving around 32 crore members across 30 sectors, official data showed on Sunday.

These institutions connect milk producers, artisans, fishers, traders, and workers to markets, while connections with women-led SHGs have integrated nearly 10 crore women into the cooperative framework.

"From nationally recognised entities such as Amul to major institutions like NABARD, KRIBHCO, and IFFCO, alongside thousands of local societies and cooperatives, these entities constitute a foundational pillar of India's economic architecture," said the official statement.

Notably, the government has approved a Rs 2,925.39 crore project to computerise functional Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) and integrate them onto a common Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)-based national software platform.

Under the scheme, each PACS will be provided with essential hardware support, including a computer, webcam, VPN, printer, and biometric device.

To date, 59,261 PACS are actively using ERP software, compared to 47,155 PACS (as on January 2, 2025).

"Hardware delivered to 65,151 PACS, covering about 82 per cent of the expanded target of 79,630 PACS (as against 57,578 PACS covered as of January 2025). Online audits were completed in 42,730 PACS, 32,119 PACS enabled as e-PACS and 34.94 crore transactions processed through 22 ERP modules, while software is available in 14 languages," the data further showed.

According to the National Cooperative Database 32,009 new PACS, dairy, and fishery cooperatives have been registered. At present, PACS operates in 2,55,881 Gram Panchayats (GPs), dairy cooperatives cover 87,159 GPs, and fisheries cooperatives are present in 29,964 Gram Panchayats nationwide.

Moreover, Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) have been integrated with multiple central government schemes, significantly expanding their role as village-local service delivery hubs.

So far, 38,190 PACS have been upgraded into Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samriddhi Kendras (PMKSKs) to supply agricultural inputs, while 51,836 PACS function as Common Service Centres (CSCs) delivering more than 300 e-services, the data showed.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Great to see the digital push with ERP and hardware for PACS. My father is part of a local cooperative in Punjab, and he says the transparency and ease of transactions have improved a lot since computerisation. More power to our farmers and artisans!
R
Rohit P
ज़मीनी स्तर पर यह डेटा बहुत अच्छा लगता है, लेकिन एक सवाल: क्या सभी 6.6 लाख functional cooperatives वास्तव में लाभ कमा रहे हैं और सदस्यों को उचित मूल्य दे रहे हैं? कुछ मामलों में मध्यस्थ ही सबसे ज्यादा फायदा उठाते हैं। सिस्टम में और पारदर्शिता की जरूरत है।
M
Meera T
The fact that nearly 10 crore women are integrated is the highlight for me. When women get economic power through SHGs and cooperatives, it transforms entire families and villages. This is real, sustainable development.
D
David E
As someone working in rural development, these numbers are impressive. The scale is massive – 32 crore members! The move to make PACS multi-service hubs (PMKSK, CSC) is a smart way to increase their utility and viability. A model other countries could learn from.
K
Karthik V
Software in 14 languages and hardware delivered to over 65k PACS is a huge logistical achievement. Hope the training and maintenance keep pace so this tech doesn't become obsolete in a few years. The potential for data-driven agriculture and credit is enormous.

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